math.stackexchange.com requires questions that can be answered, not just discussed. Subjective questions are even worse: they are a proper subset of questions that can only be discussed - and not definitively answered ...

"As an engineer by training, I became used to MATLAB for a lot of numerical work as it was the tool to use in undergraduate courses and graduate courses/research. Now that it has been a while since I was a student, I have dabbled (very briefly) with different open-source software, and I am never satisfied. None have all the features and useful built-in functions of Matlab. Examples are Python with Scipy / Numpy, Scilab, Octave ... I haven't used either paid or open-sourced symbolic packages like Mathematica, Sage Math, or Maxima Algebra, but would like to get familiar with one anyway. MATLAB and Mathematica are reasonably affordable for personal use in the US, but for business use, they get quite expensive, esp. if one wants additional MATLAB toolboxes. What has been your experience, and what would you recommend and why? Thanks!"